Preparing for Battle
by G. Sun
Summary: Mizuki finds herself in a scuffle with the mysterious boy who's come to invade Metropolis. While the Master Emerald is shattered, another Dark force finds his way to Mizuki. Is she strong enough to both of them on and save the world before it falls to the Heartless? Read after THE QUEEN'S IMPATIENCE.
1. Chapter 1

**Let's get a move on, things are getting intense.**

I wipe the sweat off my face and the glass shards off my chest as I lunge at the attacker again, relying only on adrenaline to keep me going. I don't even know who this guy is, just that he's ruining my life! I send quick palm strikes at him and he dodges each one and tries landing a punch at me. I easily bring my head back to avoid it and aim for his chakra node. "I really don't have time for you right now," scoffs the boy after jumping back from my hand.

"I have all the time in the world for you!" I run and jump over him, aiming for a back chakra node, but he seems to notice and evade me. "You're too stiff," he taunts smugly.

"And you're too-ugh!" Why am I so slow, or is he just too fast for me to hit? I'm gonna end him right here and now, I can't let him play around with me when there's so much at stake. I feign a frontal attack and when he jolts back, I get behind him and try to hit a chakra node in his back teeming with Darkness. He catches himself and twirls out of harm's way, by now he must have caught on to my strategy. "You're aiming for specific spots, which means I need to keep away from you," he deduces while backing away from me. "It's over for you. Mia's the only one I want." He plunges his hand into the pavement as if it's a drill. Blasts of Dark energy erupt from everywhere underneath me, destroying everything in sight. As I retreat, an explosion behind me sends me flying inside the top floor of a three-story building. Holding my breath and returning to my normal eyesight, I crawl towards the broken window and get a view of the street or what's left of it. The jeep is upside down on top of fire hydrant gushing water and the entire street is reduced to rubble. But no sign of the guy who wants Mia.

"No-you coward," I mutter as my body sits in a puddle of pain. I have to get up and find him, there's no time. The thought of me getting up is enough to make my body remain in agony. I won't be getting up for a while, I just hope whoever that guy was doesn't see me like this. Using my white eyes, I look past two buildings and spot him walking away from where I am. The boy with the violet and slightly crimson energy is looking at my floor but turns his head and walks along nonchalantly. "I won't let you get out of here, I won't-gaah." Guess not. None of me wants to move, I should've planned this out better. What the hell was I thinking? _I wasn't thinking at all_. Why did I think that I could do this? I'm not the strong one, Risa is. I should've told her to come along and help me. "That was rather rash for you Mizuki," someone says behind me.

"Get outta here or I'll-nngh-hurt you!"

"Mizuki you make me laugh," snorts Dori, his feet break the glass shards next to me. "I've missed you. The Light of this world made it difficult to travel here."

"Stay away!" I shout, trying to move my hand but I can't. His hand on my forehead makes my face scrunch up. I feel as though I'm inside a volcano, it's getting too hot in here.

"You look like a mess, your beautiful face is tainted with bruises and cuts, " he observes as he kneels down next to me, his robe getting on my face. "That's good, that means you've gotten stronger."

"Yeah so back off-"

Before I can finish, he leans forward and presses his lips against mine. Instantly the urge to fight him dims out as if my energy is being sucked out by his cool lips; the Byakugan vanishes as I close my eyes. I'm enjoying his brisk lips against my hot ones, his face so close to mine-wait, what?! With the little energy I have left, I turn my body on my side, breaking the deep, hungry kiss that leaves me breathless. "You're never going to touch me-like that-again," I threaten as I force myself to get to my feet. Once I stand up, I feel too vertigo for movement. His entire body becomes a blur but I can still hear him chuckling. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Like I said, keep away from me."

"Did you enjoy-"

"Why did you do that?"

"Have you ever been attracted to someone who hates you?" his tone is serious now, he's no longer teasing me. "Wanting a taste of someone's else power? You must've felt something from that."

"I didn't," I lie, standing offensively to gain my balance. "I've felt nothing hatred for you ever since I met you again in that town. You're the reason why I'm here right now, the reason I lost everyone close to me, the reason why I can't find my brother and my mom, the reason for everything wrong in my life. If I wasn't feeling so dizzy and winded, I would beat you down until-until there's nothing left of you!" Dori folds his arms and lowers his head. In a second, his hand is around my throat and I'm dangling out of the broken window. "Just do it already," I spit. "It would end all my hatred for you, end all of my pain. Go right ahead."

"Despite how much I want to," his glowing blue eyes ogling me up and down. Does he finally see me as a threat or is this another façade? "I can't do that." He brings me back inside and drops me like a dead puppy. I cough as I gasp for air, every part of me aching. "The power to move forward sleeps within you. It has to be awakened soon Mizuki. Although I was patient all this time, I cannot wait for you forever." He skips out of the window, allowing me to finally slump to the floor and catch my breath.

What did he mean? What's he talking about? Why did he kiss me? Why did I like it? "Gaah! You just made everything so confusing. I don't know what to do." I hate him so why did I like the feeling? Why did he have to be the one to steal my lip-virginity? "Calm down Mizuki, just calm down and start thinking logically," I whisper to myself as I slap my cheeks. It's time to come up with a plan of action, a plan that will help me understand what to do next. I look out the window, gripping the sides so I don't fall to my death. The street doesn't even look like a street anymore, it's just pure rubble. Is that what that kid could do? He said he was looking for Mia-hopefully the army found her by now and are keeping her safe. That boy will demolish her.

Which one do I go after? Dori or that other kid? Well obviously that kid is out of my league, but I'm sure Dori isn't. It was only because I was uber tired and vertigo, that's all! Maybe if I had some food, I could get the sustenance I need. Okay so the first thing I'm doing is getting some food.

' ' '

"This sandwich is so delicious," I moan pleasantly as I take another bite into the avocado sandwich I found in an abandoned deli not too far from the building I crashed into. How long has it been since I've had real food? Too damn long. "Okay." I wipe the crumbs off my face and throw the rest of it on the ground. "Now it's time to get Dori, full speed ahead-woah!" I stumble over something but when I turn around I see the cracked sidewalk. That was weird but I've got to go-wait a minute, this happened before, and it was because of-

I tap the ground until I feel something tube-like and coarse. I wrap my hand around it and lift it up. "Mia's bo staff, I found it before. Must've dropped it without realizing it." If Mia's gonna get into some trouble, I'd better find her and give it to her.

J.G.P.


	2. Chapter 2

Am I actually ready for this? Prepared to either end someone's life or have them end mine? I told Dori to just finish me off when he dangled me out the window 'cuz I had a feeling he wasn't gonna do it. The truth is I want to keep living. "Yeah," I agree with my thoughts aloud while walking towards the police station. I must be in uptown Metropolis, somehow I wandered up here when I ran out of the station. Beside that one street that kid demolished, everything here doesn't look all that bad. And the Heartless stopped reappearing so it's a little more peaceful if I ignore the city's sirens going off. But I know that they'll come back, the Heartless always do. Now that the leader arrived, there should definitely more of them.

"Hey! You outta be inside like the rest of us!" a man yells from inside an auto repair shop.

"How come?"

"You're gonna get killed you stupid kid!" a younger woman shouts from inside there. So everyone is hiding indoors I guess. "The black monsters are going to kill you. Hide in here with us."

"No thanks. I'm not into that," I grip Mia's invisible staff and keep pressing on. "The black monsters are gone for now and I'm heading off to destroy the source."

"That's stupid!"

"Damn kid's a fool." These scared grown-ups are just pushing further towards my goal. I break into a run, letting every insult push me further. "Stupid brat! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Don't do it! Your life is worth it."

"Where the hell are your parents?"

The last one brings me to a stop and forces me to look for the source. From an apartment building four stories high, some random thirty-five year old ginger woman is shouting at me. "What're you trying to prove? What are your parents doing letting you run around out here?" I look up at her, taking in a deep breath before replying. "They're both gone."

"What a pity. Come in here, I can take care of you."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me, I can do that myself," I yell. If I didn't need anyone when I was in Tokyo and I didn't need anyone when I drifted to this world then I don't need anyone now. I've always had to do things on my own and this is no different.

That's it, I need to take a nap-too tired to keep on going. This is the fastest I've ever ran before and I'm still uptown. Gotta find somewhere safe. I do a three-sixty turn and spot a bookstore, a clothing store, and another deli. The clothing store sounds pretty comfortable right about now. I step through the broken window, knocking down a mannequin on the display platform. Ew, this is definitely a thrift shop, there's nothing but junk in here. I guess I can make a bed out of this junk and take a twenty minute nap. I discover a couple of people sleeping on clothes, I guess they had the same idea I did. Wow that guy is really cute-no time, saving the world after this power nap. I lay the oversized sweaters down on the floor and get comfortable. All these clothes smell so musty. Remember that you left the staff by the hats, you can't forget it again. This nap is going to be the most peaceful part of my day. Once everything is all over, will everything just go back to the way it was? Of course it won't, I sound like a six year old saying stuff like that. None of us here even know if we'll wake up again.

On the cruise ship I was lost, confused, and stricken with fear so bad I could nothing but scream as the ship tipped over. I wonder if Risa ever feels so useless and insignificant sometimes, I'm sure she doesn't. She could handle herself when her world was disappearing. She told me what happened to her and her village. She lost her best friend and I lost my family, I guess that's something we have in common. That's why we're both trying so hard to save this pseudo-home, so we can make it back. I'm so much stronger than when I was in Tokyo, I'm sure that everything is going to change for the better by the time I wake up.

"Tomorrow, everything falls Mizuki," the voice I know too well says, coming from in front of me. I want to sit up but just like before I can't move a muscle. All I can see is Dori's sandals and bottom of his monk attire. "You and I will be ready for it." He bends down and lets me see his deceiving sapphire eyes before moving his face closer to mine. "You're already starting to become weaker."

"Stop!"

I wake up to screaming and scurrying feet. I sit up and glance around, shocked at the swarm of Heartless that are coming from all sides. "This can't be happening right now. Space's shield wore off already?" I attack them quickly as they leap at me all at once. Once they're taken care of, I sigh remorsefully, thinking of how many sleeping, vulnerable people the Heartless got. Then I realize, I've asleep for five hours, no wonder the Heartless are back! "I've got a long way to go too!" I scramble towards the hats' area and feel around for the bo staff, eventually getting it, and then bolting for the smashed windows. God, the Heartless are practically teeming-I've gotta get past them.

"Mia! Where are you? You've gotta defend yourself somehow right?!" I shout as I take a Heartless-free street south going towards Central Metropolis. God, where is she, she should be out already unless Leather Jacket Guy got a hold of her again. "Heeey Mia!"

"Hey you!"

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," I wave at the red echidna holding an armful of broken glowing shards. Right, those are the Master Emerald shards that I found one time. "What's the problem, I'm kinda in a rush here."

"Have you seen Risa anywhere?" asks Knuckles frantically.

"Yeah she's-" I cover my mouth quickly remembering Risa not wanting to see him for some reason. He glares at me suspiciously. "Where is she?"

"It's really none of your business anyway."

"You-! Listen if I don't find the rest of these shards then this world is doomed. I need-I can't believe I'm saying this-but I need Risa to help me out." Risa insisted she didn't want to see this guy and she's not the kind of person who would just change her mind so easily. She won't be happy if I bring him to her. "How many more shards are left?" I ask.

"I already have six, I need two more of them."

"Then let me help you find them. Risa's out of it right now." He looks ready to argue me but I doubt the Heartless will give us much time for that. "Hey, we don't have time to argue, the world's ending in case you didn't realize. Do you know where the shards are?"

"One's in central Metropolis and-"

"Let's go then, come on!"

By the time we made it to Harold Lane, aka the main street in central Metropolis, the sky became a thick black. Our time is coming to an end. No, think positive, think about good things. "Got it!" Knuckles chucks out one of the huge pieces of the glowing jewel from the side of a brick building. He puts it in his backpack I picked up in a 99 cent store on the way down here. "Just one more."

"What does this jewel have to do with saving the world?" I wonder inquisitively. He frowns at me but his frowns look like glares. "It's what was protecting us. That's all I can tell you, now come on we've got-"

"Mia, I thought you were gonna leave me hanging." The boy that I fought with before, he's just around the corner. And so is Mia, thank God. I hate to leave Knuckles but I gotta make sure she's well equipped. "Sorry, gotta go now!" I make a break for it and follow their voices while Knuckles is too stunned to speak. Then I hear, "hey where do you think you're going?" There they are. Mia and this kid, face to face-shit is about to go down here. I've never seen Mia's back so upright before, I'm not looking at the same girl from when we fought Deidre. I recognize him from the picture Risa had before, that's Seth! So they're friends or something? I'll worry about that later! I cry out, "Mia, here!" I throw the invisible bo staff her way and she turns to catch it. In her hands, it's visible again and I can see the markings all over it. Where did she get such a cool bo staff anyway?

"Thank you," she replies sweetly but without a smile, "by the way, Risa told me to tell you to head to the top of this building to my right. After this is all over, we're gonna grab lunch tomorrow, the three of us. It's a promise," and then turns towards the fearsome boy.

"You got it," I mutter, stunned at her firmness. I dash inside the department building, pushing past all the frightened onlookers watching the confrontation. The elevator is broken so I guess I'm taking the steps up. When I reach the penultimate staircase to the roof, I wonder if Mia's really gonna take him down. No doubt in my mind she will-the way she spoke to me just now and the future I saw, she'll definitely make it. I shove open the doors and grin at Risa's back. "Heey!" I hug her from behind, much to her displeasure.

"I am glad to see you too Mizuki," she gloomily says, barely hugging me back. "What happened to you?" Leaving her was a terrible mistake, I need to apologize! "I'm sorry I ditched you and I was feeling all messed up and-not you!" I step out of her hug to shoot a high-beam glare at Leather Jacket Guy. First that Seth kid, then Dori, and now this guy wants to get my nerves riled up.

J.G.P.

**Stay tuned, the fight that you've been waiting will arrive very soon.**


End file.
